Mechanism



N. D. NIELSEN.

FLUID AGITATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION men JUNE 11. 1918.

1,307,595. 'Patnted une 24, 1919.

NIELS D. NIELSEN, F ELYRIA, O-HIO.

rLUIn-AGITATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed'June 11, 1918. Serial No. 239,404.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NIELS D. NIELSEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Agitating Mechanisms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention relates to mechanisms for agitating the contents of vessels and the like, and has for objects the provision of means which, though normally maintained in position for efficient operation, may readily and conveniently be removed for purposes of repliir, adjustment, inspection, transfer or the l' e. l

I also aim to produce means for conveniently and effectively locking the agitating mechanism so that it will be impossible to cause the same to perform any agitating operation when so locked.

My inventionis of especial utility with enameled tanks, etc., where the easy and ready removal of the mechanism obviates any danger to the enamel- Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will be understood from a description of an embodiment of my invention. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through apparatus showing an embodiment, of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section through the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is a view similar to Fig 1 with the agitator removed and the shaft partly withdrawn from its support.

Referring now to the drawings and to the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein, at 4 is shown a tank'wall, which may be enameled, as illustrated at 5. At 6 is an opening in the tank, in the embodiment shown, in the side wall thereof. A bushing 7 may be provided about said opening on the outside wall of the tank. At 8 is shown a support or mounting means for the agitating mechanism, which, in the embodiment illustrated, consists of a long sleeve. The use of a sleeve is of especial advantage where a tank or vessel is surrounded with a jacket 9. As shown, the sleeve 8 extends through an opening 10 in the jacket 9, which is in alinement with the opening 6, and into the opening 6, preferably far enough for its end 11 to be flush with the inside surface of the tank wall. WVhere the tank is enameled, the end of the sleeve may alsobe enameled.

Suitable means are provided for securing the sleeve in the tank, here shown as threads 12 on the inside of the opening 6 and companion threads l8 on the end 14: of the sleeve. The other end of the sleeve is provided with threads 15 on the outside surface thereof for a purpose to be described. The sleeve is provided with a bore or opening 16, which, in the embodiment shown, is concentric with the sleeve itself and extends from end to end thereof.

At'O is shown a shaft for the agitator, which extends through the bore 16 and projects, as shown at 17, into the tank. At- A is shown the agitator proper, which,-in the embodiment shown, consists of a propeller provided with a threaded recess 18 into which the end of the shaft is inserted. The end of the shaft is provided with threads 19,

which cooperate with the threads 18. As will be seen, the propeller is thus removably mounted upon the shaft: and may be readily taken off of the shaft, by rotating it in a direction opposite that in which it is rotated when employed for agitating the contents of the tank. I

The diameter of the part of the shaft in the sleeve and in the tankis not greater than that of the bore 16, so that when the propeller is removed from the shaft, the shaft may be withdrawn from the sleeve for purposes of inspection,repair, etc. The end of the sleeve 8 is provided with a thrust bearing 20, which cooperates with a companion bearing 21. The companion bearing 21 is one of a double cone bearing 22, here constituting an enlargement on the shaft C. The

bearing 22 consists of two frusto-conical' shaped members 21 and 23, with their bases together.

At B is shown a cup shaped nut having a bottom' 24 provided with an opening 26 through which the shaft C projects. The

side walls of the cup nut are shown at 251 V knurled at 31, in order that the same may be readily turned in and out upon the sleeve. The bottom of the cup nut is provided with a bearing 32 to cooperate with the part 23 of the double cone bearing 24. Means are provided through which the shaft and agitator are rotated and here illustrated as a pulley 40.

When it is desired to remove the propeller shaft from its mounting, the propeller A is rotated in a direction to screw it off of the end of the shaft. The cup nut is then screwedofi' of the end of the sleeve and the shaft is withdrawn, together with the pulley and the cup nut. When assembled, as shown in Fig. 1 the shaft is prevented from moving longitudinally, the thrust being taken I up by the bearings 20, 21 or 23, 32, depending upon the direction of the thrust.

It will be seen that I'have produced mechanism which is capable of withstanding any character or kind of thrust, to which apparatus of the kind to which my invention relates, is liable to be subjected. At the same time I have produced apparatus which can be readily removed for purposes of inspection, repair, renewal, or for substitution or transfer.

Often it is desired that the agitating means should be locked against movement to prevent interference with some operation.

proceeding in the contents of the tank. This I effect by forcing thecup nut B down on the sleeve until the double frusto-conical member 22 is caught'and so tightly held between the end of the sleeve and the bottom of the cup nut as to prevent rotation of the shaft Grand thepropelle r A. It will be seen that I have provided locking means which are part and parcel. of the devices used for mounting the agitator on the vessel, and through which it may readily be removed, thus greatly simplifying and cheapening the cost of producing and operating the apparatus.

I have illustrated this particular embodiing in alinement with said hole, a sleeve secured in the hole of said boss and extending through the opening of the jacket, threads on the exterior of the outer end of the sleeve,

' a shaft in said sleeve adapted to be secured to a stirring means in the tank, a collar on the shaft adapted to abut against the end of the sleeve, a cup ada ted to threadin the end of the sleeve and a ut against said collar whereby the collar may be clamped against the sleeve to lock the shaft from rotation when desired, and a lock nut on said sleeve adapted to clamp said cup in position when it is backed off to permit free rotation of the shaft.

2. In combination, a tank, a jacket round the. tank and spaced therefrom, said tank and jacket having openings in their adjacent walls in line with each other, a sleeve passing through said openings, a shaft in the sleeve having a reduced end extending into the tank and adapted to receive a stirring means, a collar on the shaft adapted to abut against the outer end of the sleeve, a cu cooperating with the outer end of the s eeve adapted to clampthe collar thereagainst in one position to prevent rotation of the shaft and in other positions to permit free rotation while taking up the outward thrust of the shaft, and means for locking the cup in said latter positions.

In witness whereof, I havehereunto set my hand this 27 day of May, 1918.

NIELS D. NIELSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseacfh, by" addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

